Cindy's adventures, on and off the stage!

Education

10/24/2016

Stages and rehearsals are dangerous places. Even when all the proper safety precautions are in place, even when you've had appropriate fight training and have been professionally instructed in how to handle a sword or gun or how to strike a colleague without hurting them, even when everyone is well-intentioned and paying attention, injuries can happen. And we all know that what with cost-cutting measures and sometimes inexperienced or careless colleagues, performers don't always get the best case scenario.

I've been injured on set myself, and the process of dealing with it isn't fun. When you're by yourself, on the road, and may or may not have the support of the company, it's easy to get overwhelmed. Sometimes smaller companies don't have procedures in place for handling injuries. And if you're just starting out in the business, you may not know what to do. So here's a handy-dandy guide to managing injuries while you're working in the theater.

GET SAFE

This may seem like a no-brainer, but people can get very flustered during emergencies, and if you're the injured party, you may not be thinking straight at the moment. The priority is always to make sure the threat is over or that you are removed from it, and that you are safe.

GET AN ALLY

It will be very helpful to have an ally such as a colleague, your union rep, or a family member to help walk you through some of these things when you're incapacitated or not at your best. But if you are on your own --- don't let anyone rush you into any decisions. Take your time. Ask to see things in writing.

GET TREATMENT

Again, basic; but even if you aren't seriously or obviously hurt, now is not the time to play tough guy. Don't worry about stopping rehearsal for a few minutes. Of course, if you're hurt during a performance, you'll want to play it out in character if possible and seek help when you get offstage. But don't be a hero. If you're really hurt or in danger of exacerbating an injury, the stage manager may need to ring down the curtain. (Don't worry about impacting the performance. Audiences love this kind of real-life drama and the resulting publicity will give the company a boost, too).

Take your time, check yourself out, and make sure the stage manager or someone from the company is standing right there with you. Ask for what you need. See a doctor if you need to, and do so right away. Go to an urgent care center if necessary. Better to be reassured that you're okay, and receive treatment for a minor injury, than to try to tough it out; exacerbate your injury, and have it turn into something major or chronic. The full extent of many injuries aren't known until days, weeks, or months later; so get checked out right away to catch any potential problems before they're exacerbated by time or neglect.

If you are seriously hurt, let them take you to the hospital ASAP and don't worry about paying for it --- you're going to file for worker's compensation and that should take care of it. That's another reason to see a doctor --- you want to get that medical file started and on record as quickly as possible.

FILE AN ACCIDENT REPORT

A couple of years ago, while rehearsing for Pirates of Penzance at Portland Opera, yours truly fell on her butt while rehearsing some swordplay. My ample natural padding saved me from any harm and I even managed not to poke my eye out with the sword; the only damage was to my ego. But Stage Manager of My Dreams Jennifer Hammontree was handing me an accident report before I even got back to my feet.

In a professionally run company, with a competent stage manager, the very first thing that happens after ascertaining that the injured performer doesn't need to go to the emergency room and is basically okay, is that the stage manager should come to you with an accident report. Certainly this will happen in AGMA or Equity companies; but sometimes in small regional houses, you will have to ask or even insist.

If no one from the company will take an accident report, document it yourself immediately. Write down what happened, including where you were, what you were wearing, what you were doing, who else was present, how the injury occurred and who (if anyone) was involved; what you did immediately following the injury; who you spoke to about it and what you said; what treatment you sought; how the injury and treatment have progressed. If you tried to file an accident report and were denied, document that.

TALK TO YOUR UNION REPRESENTATIVE

If you're an AGMA singer at a signatory company, be sure you speak to your shop rep as soon as possible. If they are in the theater, ask for them to come and see you as soon as you're offstage. If they aren't currently in the house, get their contact info and call them at your earliest convenience. They are there to help you and make sure the company does right by you.

FILE FOR WORKMAN'S COMP

Start a workman's compensation claim immediately. Workman's comp can take a long time to process --- and you or your insurance company will be paying up until your claim has been approved and all the paperwork is submitted. Also, there is a statute of limitations on how long you have to claim workman's comp, and this varies wildly from state to state, so file right away. Call the responsible agency in the state in which you are injured (see below for a link) and request to file a claim. The process will vary from state to state, so start your own file and keep all the info together from day one. It will make things easier. Also, if you have an injury that requires surgery or ongoing treatment, realize that many doctors do not want to deal with workman's comp claims --- they are a mess. I got around this by paying for my surgery and other expenses out of pocket or through my own insurance company, and having the state insurance company reimburse me or my company directly. You'll want to talk to your case agent about this and find out what can be done.

Assuming your claim is approved, workman's comp will (eventually) pay for your medical expenses and other expenses incurred in treating your injury (such as travel and hotel if you must go out of town for treatment). If you lose work or have a permanent injury, you will receive some compensation, so it's important to file the paperwork right away. This site gives some additional general information on filing workman's comp and contact info for each state.

PRINT THIS OUT!

When you travel to an engagement, it's always a great idea to have a packet with a copy of your signed contract, a list of your doctors with contact info, medication, and useful information like this how-to article, or a list of easily accessible links to the knowledge you need. That way, if you find yourself in an unpleasant situation, you'll make it easier on yourself by being prepared with pertinent info at your fingertips.

06/11/2016

Back in the spring, I had the privilege of hearing many, many young singers who came to share their gifts with me in the hopes of being invited to participate in Spotlight on Opera, the professional development program I founded and run. As I talked and listened to them, I was acutely aware of their gifts of effort, faith, sacrifice, and talent.

The effort to prepare themselves vocally, dramatically, and mentally for performance, and the effort to come to this audition.

The faith they place in me to be present for their performance, to understand where they are in their training right now, to see where their talent could take them, to be kind.

The sacrifice of emotions, of ego, of time and money they endure to be in this place and perform for me.

The talent they offer to share with me and the greater world.

These things are not to be taken lightly by any educator or producer. We hold these things in trust. As producers, it's our job to find the best way to use that gift of talent in the opportunity available; as educators, it's our job to use that gift is such a way that it will give the student what he or she most needs and help them take the next step or two towards their goals.

As an active performer myself, it's enormously valuable to have the perspective of sitting across the table, hearing, seeing, and evaluating these singers. It teaches you a lot about what works and what doesn't, what your priorities should be, and how tiny some of the dealbreakers are when all things are otherwise equal. So I offer the following observations --- one adjudicator's opinion only, though it is an opinion rooted in experience --- in the hopes of helping some of my young colleagues gain some perspective they might be able to use in their own auditions and beyond. Here goes.

REPERTOIRE

Start with the piece you feel absolutely, 100% comfortable with and can sing any time, any where, under any circumstances. If that piece is "Caro mio ben", and you also are offering "Sempre libera" but there's that one place where the coloratura is never 100% clean; yet you really want to start with "Sempre libera" because it's flashier and you think it will be more impressive ... don't. It won't be. I'd rather hear a beautifully sung "Caro mio ben" than a "Sempre libera" that just isn't quite there yet. The rule about flashy arias is that you can only offer them for auditions if you sing them really, really well, ALL the time.

If you are auditioning for a certain role, it's best if you have an aria from that role. And it's absolutely fine if you don't; however, in that case make sure you show the panel something vocally and dramatically that shows you have what it takes for the role you want. If you are auditioning for Carmen or Musetta, and you don't show me intensity and fire and a sexy legato line, I don't know that you can embody the role. If you're auditioning for Don Jose or Marcello and you don't show me that you can have an edge or a firey temper, you haven't convinced me.

If you are a young singer and you are being encouraged to sing grownup repertoire --- Fidelio, Ariadne, Tannhauser,Aida, and the like --- before you go out and start auditioning for these things, get a second opinion from someone not at your school. Get a second opinion from a New York coach, or a conductor, or someone who runs an opera company. The reality is that there are very, very few young singers who really should be singing this repertoire at their age and stage of development.

Versatility is overrated. What I mean by that is: very, very few people are actually as versatile as they think they are when it comes to repertoire they sing amazingly and embody both physically and dramatically. While adjudicators expect young singers to be exploring, there's a big difference between offering arias on either side of the Fach you think you inhabit and showing up with everything from "O mio babbino caro" to "Entweihte Goetter" on your list.

Fach is overrated. This might seem contradictory to what I just said --- but I care much less about what you call yourself than what makes me sit up and take notice of your voice. As a young singer, don't worry so much about a label --- focus on figuring out what repertoire gets people excited about you!

THE PAIN AND GLORY OF BEING A SOPRANO

Sopranos (especially lyrics). It's not enough to be pretty; it's not enough to sing pretty well; it's not enough to have a pretty voice. Even at the pay-to-sing level, you have to distinguish yourself. As a developing singer, you do this by singing as well as you possibly can, but you will also be miles ahead if you know what you're singing about, have great diction, are a wonderful musician, and can ACT. Come to think of it, this is true for everyone. But it's more true for young sopranos, because you do NOT want to be the slowest gazelle in the herd.

ARIAS NO ONE SHOULD EVER SING IN AN AUDITION (UNLESS)

The following are arias you should never, ever sing in an audition unless you 1. Sing them tremendously well; 2. Know what every word means when you sing it; 3. Understand the background of the opera, the character, and the precise circumstances under which you're singing it; 4. Can embody the role completely; 5. Are not merely imitating vocal and physical gestures you heard or saw a famous singer do on YouTube.

Any Mozart whatsoever but ESPECIALLY "Deh vieni non tardar" and the Count's aria.

The Doll Aria. Just ... don't.

Obscure arias from operas no one ever does or arias that are usually cut from mainstream operas, unless they are amazing pieces of music that really show you off.

Wagner, if you are not yet developed enough to be heard over a professional orchestra.

Anything that is incredibly long, unless you don't care if you get cut off, only sing one piece, or offer to start somewhere other than the beginning.

Arias that are normally presented with recits or cabalettas, and you're offering neither.

WHY YOU DIDN'T GET CAST IN THE ROLE YOU WANTED

You may not be quite as technically advanced as you think. If you have poor intonation (even just part of the time), bad diction, sloppy musicianship, or no visible connection to the text or dramatic aspects of the piece, you are unlikely to be cast in a substantial role.

You may be singing completely wrong repertoire for your voice.

You may be have failed to show the panel what they needed to see dramatically or technically in order to consider you for a specific role.

You may have come across as nervous, desperate, or in some way high maintenance. (Hint: just go in there and do your business, so to speak. Announce your name and your selection. Speak when spoken to. Do not offer excuses or unsolicited explanations. Just sing, and let your singing do the talking for you)!

You may have misbehaved in the waiting area and it got back to the panel. Ain't nobody got time for that.

You may have been absolutely fantastic, but they just liked someone else better than you.

WHY YOU GOT CAST IN A ROLE YOU THINK IS INAPPROPRIATE OR BENEATH YOU

Honestly? The most common reason for odd casting in a PTS or YAP is that they just needed someone to sing that role, didn't have the right voice type at the right level of accomplishment, and you were the next best choice. Feel free to politely decline if you feel singing such a role won't do you any good; but also consider that there may be benefits other than adding a Fach-appropriate role to your resume.

If you're being told by your teachers that you are the next big star and you just need to sing for the Met or go to Europe or whatever, and yet you can't get cast in a leading role in a PTS or YAP ... guess what. You are not the next big thing; not yet. (Nor does getting cast as a lead indicate that you ARE the NBT). But if you were all that and a bag of chips, companies would be falling over themselves to get you. The proof is in the pudding, folks.

Beware Big Fish in a Little Pond Syndrome. One of the hardest and yet most important skills for singers to accomplish, is perspective. You might be a really big deal on your campus, but if you're not getting the same kind of recognition elsewhere, that's a sign that you may need to readjust your expectations and find out what the competition has that you don't. Conversely, you may NOT be recognized much at your school, but maybe you just need the right kind of encouragement to grow. That's one reason attending a summer program can be extremely useful. But when collecting expert opinions and advice, remember to value your own instincts, and also to look for consensus!

WHAT YOU SHOULD BE GETTING

You deserve respect and kindness. (However, this doesn't mean candy-coating).

Extenuating circumstances notwithstanding, you deserve to get what you paid for and were promised.

You deserve well-considered feedback and help --- if you're not getting it, don't be afraid to ask!

You should be getting a great learning experience --- and that experience is all around you, not just in the classes. Every situation you find yourself in during your program is an opportunity to learn and become a better artist, business person, and maybe even human being.

09/30/2015

Recently, a young acquaintance --- who has repeatedly asked me for advice --- read a response I'd written to a thread about management, and proceeded to complain to me about a lack of free resources for young singers and (as she perceived it) a lack of quality in the available resources. Here are the remarks that inspired her:

"I have said it before and I'll say it again. I don't care how big the name is on the door, you HAVE to do your research before you shell out a cent of cash. That goes for universities, voice teachers, pay-to-sings, and yes, management. It is PART OF YOUR JOB as the CEO of your very own singing business to develop perspective about the business so you can make good decisions. Too many singers are, understandably, overwhelmed by the magnitude of the information one has to digest, and they either don't know how to do the research or they panic and cling to the first opportunity that looks sorta okay. I understand how hard it is, but you do NOT have to go it alone. GET HELP. Read Classical Singer and the Opera America publications which are very good. Read the files which have been posted here FOR FREE. Read the many blogs that offer FREE resources to singers, like Mikhail Hallak's Notes from the Bench, like Susan Eichhorn Young's Once More with Feeling, like Kim Witman's Wolftrap Opera blog, like mine. Talk to older, more experienced singers and other industry experts. Take a workshop or get a consultation when the time is right. You need to talk to the people who are DOING IT RIGHT NOW. You will not find all the answers in one place and it won't happen overnight, but you will begin to learn what the questions are that you should be asking, and you will begin to develop the perspective about the business and your own place in it."

My previous blog post, Shark-proofing for singers, also addressed this issue and offered many resources, some free, some paid. The aforementioned young singer didn't consider colleagues and mentors to be resources --- at least not until I suggested it to her --- and her complaint about the resources I had cited boiled down to this: she had to work too hard to find the information she needed; often she couldn't find exactly what she was looking for; if it was free, it was often coupled with advertisements; and that nobody has taken the time to create a clearing house of information with exactly what she needs and wants in it.

Several experienced singers and industry professionals chimed in to advise this young lady that nothing comes for free. It's just a matter of who's paying the price, in dollars or in time. Who's spending the time on the singer forums to share their experience, which many people do as a way of paying it forward for all the help and advice they're received in their own careers? Who's spending the time to research and organize the information, to code a website, to purchase a domain name, to create and maintain a site? Time is indeed money. If someone has taken the time to do all that and puts an ad on the site or occasionally posts to advertise their business --- what's the big deal? They're trying to get a little something back for their investment. There's no obligation for the audience to do so much as click on a link.

A few days later, this great article on the proper way to network appeared in the New York Times. Although not directed specifically to singers, it very much applies. And there's nothing fancy in there: it's about common sense and good manners, which sadly, many people lack. The internet is in part to blame: there is so much "free" information out there --- not all of it worthy --- that many people come to expect that they should get everything without having to pay for it.

Of course, singers are constantly bombarded with requests for application fees and myriad ways to spend their money on developing their careers, and are also frequently asked to provide their services free of charge; so no one can blame them for seeking freebies wherever they're available (although as someone who frequently provides freebies, I admit it rankles when the effort seems to go unappreciated). But this is all the more reason to take a stand and 1. Refuse to sing without some sort of compensation and 2. Research, research, research before you spend your money. No one is going to do it for you ... unless, of course, you pay them to.

As someone who has benefited greatly from the generosity of other singers, coaches, directors, conductors, and a variety of other mentors, I feel obligated, and am happy, to pay it forward by sharing what my own life in the business has taught me, and offering perspective to singers trying to find their way. No one who is both talented and hard-working should miss out on the help they need due to mere lack of funds. But consulting is also one of my income streams, and I can't afford to give it away all the time. My solution is to offer general information in public forums, and very specific, in-depth advice and problem-solving for consultation, career coaching, and workshop clients.

In short, we singers should be generous with each other; and in most cases, people are, incredibly so. But that generosity should flow both ways. If you're using a service, even one that appears to be free (public radio, anyone? The Aria Database? The LiederNet Archive ?), donate. If you're using musicians, pay them in some meaningful way other than "exposure" and a plate of whatever you're serving the guests. If you're hitting up a pro such as a voice teacher, coach, stage director, or yes, a consultant for advice, and you've done it once without paying ... next time you need to offer to pay. (They may not take it. But you should offer). These people are artists too, and they're not, contrary to popular belief, getting rich off of you.

If someone does you a favor, say thank you in a meaningful way. It's just common sense and common courtesy. Post about the help you were given on social media (don't share that it was free) or write a testimonial for the person. Share their publicity posts. Comment on their blogs. Tell your friends about them. Thank yous go a long, long way, especially because so many of us forget to say them.

The science fiction author Robert A. Heinlein wrote, "Nothing of value is free. Even the breath of life is purchased at birth only through gasping effort and pain.” Singers certainly know the effort and pain of birthing a career! And it's very easy amidst that struggle in this challenging, often overwhelming business to become so focused on our own problems that we forget to extend ourselves to others.

But the truth is, the business is so much better for all of us if we share, and if we treat each other with care. Let us realize that what is "free" to us usually cost someone else. Let us respect each other's contributions and work. Let us strive to be generous, to be honorable, and to support one another. In this way, we strengthen each other and the business of singing.

09/06/2015

One of the biggest complaints singers have is about how predatory the business is. Education literally costs a small fortune and when you graduate, you are not assured of being marketable as a singer, In fact, if you were unlucky enough to have a poor teacher who trained you in the wrong Fach or imparted bad vocal technique, you might actually have years and thousands of dollars' worth of remedial work ahead of you before you can be marketable. Fees to audition for competitions, programs, and young artists' programs can be exorbitant and/or simply add up. Some businesses ask artists to work for "exposure" instead of money. And some companies and managements that purport to be professional actually charge for auditions, asking singers, who already shoulder their own business expenses, to subsidize their cost of doing business.

Some of the people who are perpetrating these practices actually have honorable intentions and believe they are helping singers; others are caught up in systems or organizations over which they exert little control. Others don't care and are doing it because they can get away with it and will always find fodder.

Sadly, there are always going to be singers who will fall prey to predatory practices because their passion for performing outweighs their ability and they are desperate for any opportunity, or because they do not possess a clear understanding of how the business works, or both. But if you're serious about navigating what can seem like shark-infested waters, part of your job is to learn how to avoid being a snack. Here are some ideas about how to accomplish that.

1. PERSONAL ASSESSMENT

When you're embarking on any new enterprise, you need to have a clear understanding of where you're coming from. Start by assessing your goals and resources --- personal (relationships, lifestyle, etc.), professional (make sure they are realistic and measurable), and financial (reality check --- the money to pursue your goals has to come from somewhere) --- and making sure these goals align with each other and the resources are there and compatible with your goals.

When considering spending money on a project or service, ask yourself first what EXACTLY you need and desire. By defining exactly what you hope to gain, you will be in a better position to ask the right questions and determine which opportunities best fit your needs.

Whether you're investigating a training program, a new teacher, or an agent, you need to acquire some base knowledge first. Armed with a list of your resources, goals, and needs, you're ready to find out whether the opportunity being offered is a good fit. But you also need a good working knowledge of the business at hand, and what expectations are realistic. This doesn't happen overnight, and you can't get it all off the internet. Some of it just comes from the school of hard knocks. However, you can be smart about it and use the resources nearest to you. Talk to your voice teachers, choir directors, business people, other singers (especially those further along in their careers than you) , conductors, stage directors, administrators --- anyone can be a contact and a source of information. You'll get some conflicting information, so look for consensus and check out claims. Remember that anything that sounds too good to be true, is.

Here are some resources to help gain perspective on various aspects of performance education and the business:

EDUCATION

The Student Singer's Starter's Kit (my self-published book; it's currently out of print, but if enough people are interested, I will re-issue it as a download; and I have a few hard copies left for sale. If you'd like a copy or are interested in a download, email me).

Classical Singer Magazine and the Classical Singer Convention: CS is pretty much the only magazine geared toward singers' interests, and they are especially valuable for high school and college aged singers, as is their annual convention. They offer a well-attended college expo, as well as competitions and special classes for high school and college singers.

Sometimes singers are afraid that if they ask too many questions (or any at all) they will somehow offend the powers that be. If a person in authority is annoyed with you for simply asking questions --- especially a teacher, an agent, or anyone at all who is asking you to pay for their services --- that is a red flag and you should be cautious about entering into a professional relationship with a potentially volatile, abusive, or controlling person. As long as your questions are reasonable, well-timed, and aren't excessive or inappropriate, you should never have fear of asking them. Your questions should be :

Researched. Don't ask someone for an answer that can easily be found by Googling or doing a little reading. And make sure you're clear on what you want to ask before you approach someone.

Specific. Ask for clarification on a point, not for someone to educate you about a broad topic.

Well-Timed. Don't grab someone on their way out the door or when they're clearly in the middle of something. Don't trap someone on the elevator. Ask if you can email them or take them for coffee later.

Reasonable. If you're asking a lot of questions, especially follow-up, you need to make sure it's ok or offer to compensate someone for their time.

Here are some questions to get you started investigating --- they are by no means comprehensive.

Some things to ask about schools you're thinking of attending (especially as a performance major):

What kind of solo performance opportunities do you offer? Do you do full opera productions with orchestra? Do you do scenes programs? Do you offer training in acting? Do you offer business training and entrepreneurship for musicians? Do you offer Italian, German, and French (both language study and diction)? Who are some of your alumni and where are they performing? What Young Artists Programs did they do? Where is your faculty performing and how often?

Some things to research about teachers you're interested in studying with:

Are they still performing? If not, how recently did they perform? Where do/did they perform --- locally, regionally, nationally, internationally? How much of each? Who are their distinguished students and where are they performing? Is there a distinctive "studio sound" or do the students of this teacher sound individual? Do they tend to have the same technical issues across the board?

Some things to ask teachers you're interested in studying with:

What is your teaching philosophy? Is teaching breathing and support important to you? Do you tend to use imagery, vocal science, or a combination of both? Where did you learn to teach and what drew you to teaching? What are your specialties?

Some things to ask of training programs you're considering:

What exactly I am getting for my money, in terms of voice lessons, coachings, and classes per week? How do you determine who gets to sing on master classes? What classes do you offer? How many performance opportunities are there and of what nature (full operas with orchestra or piano, scenes programs, concerts, etc.)? What is the housing like? What is included and what additional expenses might I be expected to pay for? What is the average age and developmental level of your students?

Some things to ask of Young Artist Programs:

What are my obligations? Will I sing run-out concerts, chorus, covers, mainstage comprimarios, leading roles in YAP productions, patron parties, board meetings, publicity events? How often will I be performing? How long is a typical day? Is this an AGMA apprenticeship or an AGMA house? How much will I be paid? Will I be paid for mainstage roles in addition to my YAP stipend? What kind of training opportunities or classes will be offered? Is is possible to be released to go study with my teacher, do auditions, or take other jobs that don't interfere with your season? Is housing, transportation, and/or a food stipend provided?

Some things to research about managers you're considering signing with:

How many singers are on the roster? How many sing the same repertoire you do? What is the manager to singer ratio? Where do these singers work and how often? Are they getting work you can't get for yourself right now without a manager? Is the website professional-looking? Are the singer bios and resumes well-written and correct in spelling, grammar, and pronunciation? Who is the website marketing to -- potential singers for the roster, or producers who might hire those singers? How long have these managers been in business and what is their background? What is their reputation among other singers and opera companies?

Some things to ask of managers you're considering signing with:

Where do you see me fitting in to your roster and into the business at large? What kinds of roles will you be sending me out for, and to which companies? What do you look for in singers you sign? What would you change about me? What companies do you have relationships with? Do you charge a fee for auditioning for you, and if so, what does it pay for (i.e. are you paying for a pianist, or are you simply subsidizing the management's business expenses by helping pay for the room, etc.)? If they offer feedback as part of the audition and you're paying to audition, how long/thorough is the feedback? Do you charge a retainer and if so, how much and what does it cover? How long is the duration of your contract?

Some things to ask yourself about any of the above:

Does this opportunity help fulfill my goals or does it take me in a different direction? How well does it fit my list of goals, needs, and desires? Is there anything about it I really don't like or that doesn't fit, and if so, do the negatives outweigh the positives? Does this school/program/teacher/manager resonate with me personally? Do they seem to like me? Are they invested in me? Are they enthusiastic about me and my talent? Can I see myself being in a relationship with this person or entity for the next X number of years?

If all these questions and all this research seems like a lot of work to you, well, it is. But it will also help you make better decisions and use your resources wisely. Plus, you can always get help! Friends, parents, mentors can all help you make sense of the maze. If it still seems overwhelming and impossible, consider getting some professional help, such as a life or career coach. I offer career consultations and project coaching through The Business of Singing, and there are other services out there, too. Just remember --- research a career coach's services just as you would any other to make sure it's a good fit and use of your resources!

"Knowledge is power," said Francis Bacon back in the 1600s, and it's still true today. Singers must take ownership of their education and their careers, and that means treating yourself like a business starting now. So before you dive in, shark-proof yourself by insisting on knowing, and getting, what you're paying for; and proceeding with a realistic and well-considered plan.

05/21/2015

For quite a long time, my non-singing work was sort of an open secret. When I started writing for Classical Singer Magazine, I used a pen name; and even after I started writing under my own name, I never mentioned to colleagues or admins at singing engagements; nor did I talk about my business consultations and workshops for singing. There was too much of a stigma attached --- if I was seen as doing something other than singing full-time, clearly I wasn't successful as a singer.

Where did this idea come from? First, it was sort of conventional wisdom floating around school, where so much about the business was rumor and conjecture; but later, I picked it up from the attitude of colleagues and opera company admins. It wasn't until much, much later, when my career was fairly well-established and general directors started bringing up my writing to me that I realized that Ask Erda, the column I've written for many years, as well as my Business of Singing work, had become part of my brand. It happened sort of accidentally, but as far as I can tell, it hasn't hurt me and in fact, may have helped. And earlier this year, at a gig, when the general director introduced me at a patron party he spoke not only of my work as a singer, but as, in his words, a "mentor" to young singers.

So, um, I guess the cat really is out of the bag. ;)

The YAP Fee Controversy ... that's one of mine.

Nevertheless, when a writer whose work I admire very much characterized my non-singing work as a "day job", I objected very strongly. "Day job" is very much a loaded term when it come to artists. It almost never has a positive connotation. It implies that performing is a part-time job and the bulk of the artist's income comes from elsewhere; and this in turn connotes that you're not all that successful a performer, because if you were, you'd be performing full time. It's one reason many artists are reluctant to share, let alone broadcast, that they do something other than performing. The stigma is genuine. (Edited to add: the writer and I had a very cordial conversation about it and the term didn't end up being used).

Singing IS my day job, and the other activities supplement it; I've worked very hard to achieve that, and my other income streams developed because of my performing. The truth is -- and I've written about this many times before - the majority of professional musicians rely on multiple income streams, including performing, teaching, directing, conducting, administrating, and other music-related work, as well as work which is not related to music-making. It's time to come out of the closet about it, and to stop --- as educators, as performers, as administrators, as patrons and fans --- using loaded language to describe how artists make a living. It's time to stop institutional and cultural shaming of artists for having multiple income streams. It's unhealthy, it's stupid, it's stifling, and it's cruel.

Recently, a brilliant article was published on the Wholehearted Musician blog, entitled "Will I Ruin My Musical Career If I Take a Non-Performing Job?" How sad that so many young musicians think this way, and even sadder that their expensive educations frequently do not include practical and current information about how to make their way in the musical world. Students of art and music are not encouraged to see themselves as entrepreneurs --- as if spending time on anything other than making art somehow cheapens you as an artist, makes you less dedicated, makes you a sellout.

Bullshit, my friends. Artistic personalities are first and foremost hedonists. We are filters. It is passion for all the delicious wonders of the senses and the hard-wired urgent need to interpret and share the different color, shape, sound, and taste of what passes through our minds and hands and mouths that makes us artists. We are driven to make art and share it, but we must be fed, literally and figuratively. Experience is what feeds us, and that includes both the beautiful and the mundane. There should be no limits to where you gather experience, and that includes, sometimes, working non-performing jobs.

Besides which, let's be practical. Those student loans aren't going to get paid off by your performance fees, not for a very long time, if ever. It's very expensive to start a career and it's expensive to maintain one. You can make a good living at it, but very few, percentage-wise, actually become wealthy from making art. There's no inherent nobility in poverty --- so why not take a job that supports you and allows you to grow your career as an artist?

Don't accept someone else's labels and standards. Professional musicians and teachers, don't tear down our profession by perpetuating the stereotype that the only worthwhile artists are the top dollar artists. Art is not, and has never been, primarily about money. Sure, artists want to make a living doing art, but if they don't, it doesn't mean they aren't artists. If you discourage artists from making art on the grounds that they don't make enough money at it, who knows what thing of beauty and importance you are preventing from coming into the world?

I'm one of the lucky ones. When I was still an undergraduate, my wonderful teacher, the great mezzo-soprano Mignon Dunn, told our opera class, "There are many ways to have a career as a singer, and they're not all in the spotlight at the Met." That was a great gift of knowledge and freedom, for those who don't want the spotlight, and for those who do but might find theirs in less lofty environs. It's still art. And art is a good thing.

Besides, as my parents --- hard-working middle class people who were both bewildered and happily surprised to find they'd raised, of all things, an opera singer --- any honest labor is worthy of respect.

It's time to do away with loaded language and sneering at how artists support their art-making. Think it's shameful that an artist you know works at 7-11 to pay the bills? You may be right. It may be a shame that a talented artist has to struggle to make his or her art.

02/13/2015

The Whole Bolivian Army (a band) explains why music should be paid for.

A couple of years ago, a small publishing house decided to come out with a new edition of Prosper Merimee's Carmen novella, and they wanted to publicize this event by having singers perform bits of the opera in various bookstores around New York and (they hoped) the rest of the nation.

Problem was, they didn't want to pay for it.

The person in charge of publicizing the event posted on a popular singer bulletin board, asking for interested parties and promising that most famous of all artist fees, "good exposure". The event would take place during high traffic shopping times, the singer would be introduced by the store manager, and they would get free books and lots of publicity.

In the interests of discovering more details on behalf of my colleagues, and considering writing about the event for Classical Singer; I entered into a very cordial correspondence with this lady, inquiring as to what "lots of publicity" entailed. Would the singer's name and website be publicized in connection with the event? Would it be included in the documentation sent to the publishing trade and mainstream media? Would the singer be included in the press release? She thanked me for my questions and ideas and said they would do all of these things; and in addition they hoped to film the performance and put it on YouTube (which, in fact, they did). She also asked me about the problem of finding an accompanist and paying them.

That's right. The pianist was to be paid, but not the singer, who would be bringing the central character of the story to life.

She asked me several times if I would be interested in singing myself, and finally I replied that as a professional singer I was not interested in promoting her business without financial compensation; but certainly there would be students and avocational singers who would be delighted to do so. And indeed, the one performance of which I am aware ended up being given by a very dedicated avocational singer who certainly derived a great deal of pleasure from the experience.

All of this preamble brings me to my point. Singers should never work for free.

More on that in a moment, but first, here's what I'm NOT saying:

I'm not saying you have to work for money. There are other forms of compensation --- experience, networking opportunities, the chance to work with people you really admire or can learn from, the chance to do repertoire you really want to do, to support a cause you believe in ... or just for FUN. There's absolutely nothing wrong in doing something just for fun.

I'm not saying that only professional singers should work. Young singers and singers in development, singers who are not at a developmental stage where they should be paid for their work, need performance opportunities, too. How else are they going to grow? How else are they going to feed their souls? Artists need to make art, and performers need an audience to perform.

But you should never, ever work for less than you are worth. And anyone who cares about classical singing as a profession and an art form should educate and advocate for appropriate pay and musical standards.

There's a letter making the rounds on social media, published by the British organist who wrote it. In it, he replies to an outraged church warden who excoriated him for "capitalising on the grief of others" by quoting, at request, his fee for playing a funeral: 150 pounds, or about $230.00, for an event lasting an hour and a half. (The church warden thought he should not have to pay more than the same 25 pounds he'd been paying for the past 25 years --- less than $40, and no raises in a quarter of a century).

This letter, along with the above story, illustrates two of the common problems musicians face with simply getting paid. It shouldn't be any secret that most professional musicians derive their living from multiple income streams, including gigging things like weddings and funerals or concerts for clubs and organizations. Often churches with a strong music program will protect their musicians to some degree by insisting that individuals booking their church use their organist and soloists and setting a basic minimum fee; but not all do so. And there is no established rate for, say, singing the Star Spangled Banner at a Rotary Club meeting or putting together an hour-long recital for the local women's club. Singers have to figure out what the "going rate" is in their town, usually by polling colleagues, and negotiate from there.

But these negotiations can easily be hampered by "civilians" such as the angry church warden above, who are accustomed to paying amateurs an honorarium and fail to understand that the . professionals deserve a professional wage. The laborer is worthy of his hire.

There isn't much a professional can do to avoid being undercut by an avocational singer who is doing a job for personal satisfaction rather than a living, especially if the person doing the hiring fails to see the difference in quality of service. (And indeed, some avocational singers are as good as any professional). But professionals should avoid undercutting each other, and should demonstrate the difference between a fully trained singer who knows exactly how to deliver what is expected and make the operation run smoothly by what he does and does not do, and a talented amateur whose passion may exceed his ability. There need be no snobbishness or superiority about this. They are two different levels of service; and the customer has a right to choose which he desires and thinks appropriate.

Still, there's nothing wrong with upselling. ;)

There is nothing wrong with educating the public on appropriate fees, either. (Perhaps refer those in need of such information to this excellent article by Fred Plotkin). A few years ago when I was teaching at a small university, we received a request for some student singers from a lady in a town about an hour and a half away. She wanted performers at her organization's dinner event, just a few songs. Great! I replied. How much are you paying?

The lady was perplexed. She didn't think she'd have to pay for students. Wouldn't they just do it for exposure (ah, the famous exposure again! Were Lenore Rosenberg or CAMI representatives going to be in the audience, I wanted to ask)? Oh, certainly they would feed them. Gas money? Well, she really hadn't budgeted for it.

This lady was quite shocked when I told her that we would not be sending any of our students to sing for her, for free. Our students were not going to lose an entire evening AND pay for a tank of gas for the privilege of singing a few tunes and getting a lukewarm rubber chicken dinner. (OK, I may have phrased it more politely). She needed to offer a minimum of $X per singer and pay travel expenses if she wanted our kids.

"But it's not in the budget!" she exclaimed.

"Are you paying the pianist?" I asked.

Guess what?

The same people who don't want to pay singers to work will pay the pianist; they will spend $300 on flowers and much more on booze and food. They'll spend thousands to rent a venue. And if they can afford to do all that, they can damn well pay their artists. Remember the hula hoop performer Revolva's open letter to Oprah Winfrey? You'd think if anybody could afford to pay performers, Oprah Winfrey could. Why is it culturally acceptable to ask performers to give away their work? In part, it's because we let them. Every time we accept a gig for which we're not getting appropriate value, every time we're too afraid to stand up to a parsimonious organizer and say, "This is what I get paid for this kind of work," and counter their objections, every time we let a friend or relative guilt us into driving three hours each way to sing some godawful pop song from the 70s at their nephew's girlfriend's cousin's bat mitzvah for the privilege of attending the party ... we're saying "It's okay not to respect what I do as a real job.It's okay not to pay an artist just because you think what we do is fun."

I run a summer training program and, more recently, a concert opera which currently does not pay its artists, other than the pianist. We're working on getting nonprofit status and fundraising so we CAN pay our professional artists, but in the meantime, we do offer some value: coaching, musical rehearsal, the chance to try out a new role in a safe and relatively low-profile environment, and get it on their resume. I feel bad about not paying my artists, but I feel good about offering something of real value to them.

More than once, local small church music directors have asked me to recommend singers. My first question is always, "How much are you paying?" Because that will tell me the level of singer to recommend. If they don't want to pay anything, I usually suggest they look in their own church choir for soloists, unless I know a good young singer who just needs the chance to sing the repertoire. If they aren't sure what they can afford, I give them a ballpark figure for what a professional soloist gets paid for the type of work they're hiring for. More than once I've said firmly, "I don't know anyone who will do it for that amount of money." Chances are, they can find someone who will, but I will not facilitate underpaying singers.

Bottom line, singers, is to know your worth and demand it --- and then show up and do an excellent job. Behave professionally. Uphold standards. This strengthens your value and that of your colleagues, just as poor performance and behavior weakens it.

Know what you need --- financially and in other ways --- to make taking a gig worth your while. If, indeed, you are working for "exposure", demand to know exactly what that means. "Exposure" is dangled in front of performers as though it's worth a great deal, when the truth is that it's the equivalent of a lottery ticket. Maybe there will be someone important there who will discover you and rush you in to sing for his good friend who happens to be a top agent at IMG! Maybe someone there will be so taken with you that they will sponsor your career on the spot! Maybe someone will hire you to sing at her daughter's wedding!

OK, I'm being a little facetious here, but you get the picture. Things do happen, and networking is a very important part of our business. ( I once sat next to Larry Wasserman of Dispeker at a steakhouse in Arizona, where a bunch of college students were putting on a show. Larry was having a great time and I couldn't help but think how those kids would be plotzing if they knew a bigtime New York agent was in their audience. To my knowledge, he didn't sign any of them). But the point is, is that long chance of making the right connection worth the time and effort you're putting into it? That should be the icing on the cake, not the main event.

So if you're going to sing for "exposure", make sure you're exposed. Ask for the organization's mailing list. Ask exactly how you will be publicized --- will your name and photo and website or contact info be listed in any program or publication? Can you hand out flyers for your personal fundraiser or upcoming concerts? Can you sign people up for your mailing list? What else are they going to do to ensure you receive "exposure"? And by the way, if they are planning on recording you, do you have control over what is published and where?

Know when to say no. Is the organization making money off your performance? Are they paying graphic artists to design a flyer or newsletter? Are they paying a pianist? Are they paying the publicist who's putting this all together? Then you should be getting paid, too ... unless you have truly compelling reasons to waive your fee. If they are paying everybody but the singer, they don't deserve professional quality work. They should be getting a student or an amateur for whom the event could be important and worthwhile; they should be getting what they pay for.

Don't, in short, sing for nothing. Don't sing for "exposure" unless that exposure is substantial and quantifiable. Don't sing for charity unless it's a cause you wish to support. Don't sing to put money in other people's pockets unless some of it's also going in yours. Don't, my friends, sing for your supper.

Unless, of course, it's being cooked by Eric Ripert. Then all bets are off.

10/23/2014

For the past few days, I’ve been monitoring a number of conversations on social media regarding the audition/application fee argument, the application process, and the frustrations both singers and administrators feel . It’s clear that there are things both parties can be doing better. Singers need to do a better job of researching opportunities and learning about the business, developing the perspective they need to know where they fit in at this point in their development, and making sure they read carefully and follow directions. Administrators need to provide more information to help singers do this and to generally be more transparent about the entire audition process.

Many singers and administrators have reached out: people really do want a dialogue. In the interests of furthering that dialogue and helping to find solutions that fit the needs of both artists and administration, I’ve encapsulated some of the proposals and added my own thoughts on the pros and cons of each. I hope that readers will expand on these. Later, I plan to present them to a panel of administrators along with a list of questions from singers.

For the purposes of this article, the following definitions are in place:

Application fee: a charge to apply for an audition.Audition fee: a charge to audition.Young Artist Program (YAP): a paid apprenticeship . Example: Ryan Center at Chicago Lyric Opera, Tulsa Opera, Santa Fe Opera, Chautauqua Opera.Pay-to-Sing or Training Program: a training program which charges tuition to singers for classes and/or performance opportunities. Examples: Music Academy of the West, Co-Operative, Land of Enchantment.

WHAT SINGERS WANT

1. To pay no application or audition fees, and certainly never for mainstage.

THE ARGUMENT FOR: Companies have a lot of overhead involved in processing applications for YAPs and Pay-to-Sings, and for doing auditions, but so do singers, who are footing the whole bill out of pocket. Singers must pay for travel, hotel, accompanist fees, coaching and lessons, wardrobe, and room rental for warmup space. This is cost of doing business; but auditions expenses are cost of doing business for opera companies. We need jobs; companies need singers and specifically, they need young, inexpensive talent for things like educational tours, comprimario roles, and covers. Why should singers subsidize companies’ audition tours?

“I've been talking about this for years,” says soprano Marcy Richardson. “It is not my job as a singer to help any opera company pay for travel, room rentals, or administrative costs. That is their responsibility as a business. I take care of MY responsibilities as a business by paying for lessons, coachings, travel, music, and materials. I'm not paying for another business's expenses on top of my own. I make my opinion known by acting with my wallet. I will not pay a fee, and if my manager tells me there is a fee for an audition, I tell him to please pull me out of the audition, and ask him to tell the GD why. I will not put up with it, I will walk right out, I will cancel, I do not care. The check is in the pianist's name, or it is not being written. It's one thing to talk about it and whine about it and complain about it, and another to ACT ON IT. I act on it, and if it costs me jobs, whatever. Hire the people who want to pay for these admin fees, be my guest. The end.”

THE ARGUMENT AGAINST: Some companies say that the cost of the application process, including personnel to review applications (often not full-time employees but people who are paid by the hour) and hear the auditions, travel and hotel expenses for 2 or more staff members, space rental, and pianists, is prohibitive without the income from singer-paid fees. Companies that don’t charge fees, such as Fort Worth Opera Festival, have cut back on audition tours (FWO does them every other year, and regularly receives complaints from singers because they no longer audition annually) in order to be able to afford not to charge fees.

Clare Burovac, Director of Artistic Operations for Portland Opera says, “It's troubling, since there doesn't seem to be a great answer for anyone --- every solution that's posed has its issues. One thing I will say is that the conversation always makes me rethink the issue and see if we can change our fee or eliminate it entirely, and I'm unable to figure out a way to make it happen without eliminating or shortening the audition trip, unfortunately, which would not enable us to hear as many singers.”

2. Many singers don’t object to paying a modest fee to help with processing for training/YAP opportunities, but believe these fees should be fairer and they should get specific benefits for their money:

- Option 2: Full fee paid up front; full or partial (75%) refund given if no audition is granted.

- Option 3: Pay full amount one time with no refund; but if accepted for an audition in the future, no further fees should be assessed.

- Transparency regarding how much time is spent looking at each application and listening to sound clips.

- Written feedback so the applicant can improve his or her application the next time.

THE ARGUMENT FOR: While acknowledging the immense time and effort administrators put into processing applications, it’s not fair for singers to pay the same amount for the privilege of having an application processed as they would for an actual audition, where they receive more benefits for their money. Feedback would help singers know how to improve their future applications and decide which companies best suit their current level of development, which would cut down on the number of ineligible applications companies must process.

“Almost all of my performing friends have agreed that they would be much more apt to pay if the fees were connected with an actual audition and not with the first round of applications --- having to pay up front simply for the privilege to be respected as an artist is a knife-twist to those who have already committed so much time, passion, and money to this art for,” says tenor and composer Griffin Candey. “For some, the quickly-inflating volume of these fees simply puts a bitter taste in our mouths -- for some, it turns them away entirely. For a business that requires young blood on a fairly regular basis, I don't believe that driving away any new potential is ever a viable consequence, regardless of administrative fees.”

“From a YA still in YAPland, I have, and always will, look at app fees as a tax deductible donation to the arts,” says mezzo-soprano Courtney Miller. “If opera was a thriving for profit business, it would be ridiculous. But, it's not. App fees are a necessary evil, but they go towards covering the company's costs that go into having auditions/travel. I get it. It gets irritating when fees are $40+. And that's when I chose to not apply unless I think I have a good chance and it would be a great opportunity. It's also lame when companies don't give you a confirmation/rejection until a week before, therefore making travel more expensive. App fees still, I'm ok with”.

THE ARGUMENT AGAINST: More book- and record-keeping for the companies; financial departments don’t appreciate having to issue refunds because it can get messy; writing feedback for each of the hundreds/thousands of applications is incredibly time-consuming and this time must be compensated, which could make fees more expensive; it’s not a company’s job to provide applicants with feedback.

“The notion that it (charging fees) should be excused for YAPs because it's on the job training makes no sense to me at all. There have been major lawsuits over this loophole employers find by having ‘interns’ otherwise known as unpaid or underpaid employees who do labor for ‘experience’. But the unfortunate part of the equation is that without YAPs (at least in the states) it's almost impossible to move on to roles with any respectable opera companies and THAT is the real heart of the outrage Cindy references as unique to this generation. The millienials are the most debt riddled generation in the better part of a century and job opportunities are terrible in all fields, particularly the arts. The YAP system acts as little more than an extension of academia, wherein singers without certain schools and connections on paper are not even considered, and this further entrenches this hierarchy of overpriced music schools. There are some companies that will not even hear a singer for a YAP unless they attended a major conservatory, and then these same bureaucrats are the ones encouraging singers to ‘find their own path’.It's completely dishonest ... Opera companies need to do more than offer 4-8 slots to young singers who all invariably attended 1 of about 7 schools or a handful of other YAPs. Perhaps more open auditions (I know it's a pain to have cattle call auditions) because something has got to give. Cindy is right to keep encouraging young singers to make more informed choices, but at some point the business has to take some credit for limiting those choices.” Another_Young_Singer

“Unfortunately, companies who charge a modest fee (that often includes a pianist) or accepts cds/videos and gives them the same consideration are a rarity,” says soprano Christina Hager. “There are companies and programs out there who are currently charging LARGE application fees, and it leads to the question: why? After paying some small, many, many moderate fees, and then seeing a few companies with HUGE fees, it leads singers to wonder and get upset...then nobody is thinking clearly”.

3. Greater transparency: YAPS, competitions, and pay-to-sings should publish specific guidelines for the number, Fach, and developmental level of singers they are looking for each season, as well as other information related to auditioning.

- What experience does a singer need to be considered for this opportunity (for example: “Applicants should have completed a Master’s Degree or equivalent and sung at least one leading role in school, community theater, or a program”).

- What voice types are needed this season?

- How many positions are open?

- How many people typically apply?

- How many audition slots are available?

- What is the fee specifically paying for --- application review, travel and hotel for the panel , pianist, audition space?

- If an application fee is assessed and the singer does not receive an audition, what does that fee pay for?

4. Clarification of the application process:

- How much time is spent reading each application?

- If sound clips are required, is every sound clip heard? How much of it? Does the processor listen all the way through?

- What are they listening for --- is potential taken into account, or are they looking for perfection?

THE ARGUMENT FOR #3 & 4: Singers will have better information on which to base their decisions about which companies to apply for and will be less likely to apply for opportunities they are not ready for, thus cutting down on the number of applications. Singers who lack the business savvy to apply inappropriately will be identified fairly quickly and obviously. Also, greater transparency will do a great deal to ameliorate frustration singers feel towards the system.

“There exists a lack of transparency on the companies' parts, and that open information about the right auditions to take is not being readily made available to us. Oftentimes that is looked upon as ‘inside information’. This is part of the ‘us vs. them’ mentality, unfortunately” says soprano Christina Rivera. “There is a real barrier felt and lack of honest communication by a company who supposedly cares about helping generate young artists and improving the art form. There is very little information on how companies operate and even after a Master's degree IN Opera, I still am in the woods (do they teach that IN the YAPs?) I also think any good business transaction involves something worthwhile being received when a fee is paid… I understand that companies have no time and need good singers, and there are administrative infrastructures that are in place to streamline the selection process and the money-making for the greatest of ease … All I am saying is that I don't think it's fair to call young artists ‘entitled’. We look to the leaders, such as YAPs, to guide us, and they are not.”

THE ARGUMENT AGAINST #3 & 4: More work for administrators who are already pressed for time; will not completely eliminate inappropriate applications; may mean that singers who don’t quite fit the standard but whose talent warrants attention will not be heard. Admins may be reluctant to share some of this information for various reasons, including backlash.

“I think that one of the primary issues is that many singers feel entitled to auditions for companies. That their years of hard work, or their natural awesome talent should make it required for them to be heard.,” says bass-baritone Daniel Klein, who is also the Executive Director of North Shore Music Festival. “No one is forcing anyone to apply to competitions, young artist programs, or training programs. However, because of this feeling of entitlement they do not honestly look at themselves, the business, the craft, and the art. If you don't like it don't buy into it and find your own path. The great stages of the world are littered with singers who never sang in a YAP and who never won a competition. I do think there are many people out there who take advantage of aspiring artists, but I don't know that it is our responsibility to deal with it.

5. Cheaper alternatives to traditional audition formats:

- Video screenings as a preliminary round; singers of interest could be invited to in-person auditions if necessary

- Group auditions in which a number of companies band together to hear singers over several days in one location.

- Broadway-style “cattle call” auditions that allow more singers to be seen without applying --- show up early to sign in, wait around until you can be heard. Callbacks for those companies are interested in.

- More house auditions.

THE ARGUMENT FOR: Many companies request videos from established professionals in lieu of an in-person audition;videos are hard to tamper with; and even though a live audition would be better, videos could be a cost-effective alternative for both singers and admins. Singers would be assured of presenting their best take. The initial cost outlay for a video might be more than an audition fee, but the videos could be used for multiple applications and also for publicity on singers’ websites.

With group auditions, companies could split application processing, organizational, and scheduling duties and the costs of hall rental and accompanists. They might also be able to hear a larger field of applicants. Singers would have the advantage of paying for only one trip and one pianist; although any fee assessed might be higher than a single audition fee, it would be justified by the convenience and overall savings. Training programs and YAPs could both participate, offering more opporunities to singers who don’t win a YAP position.

Broadway style auditions might allow more singers to be heard and would eliminate the need for applications.

House auditions allow singers to avoid the hassles and expenses of New York which can be overwhelming to young people who have not spent time in such a large city. They might be cheaper. Admins would not need to spend money on travel and housing.

“As a non-NYC Yap-er, I would rather do LOTS of research on an opportunity, and pay the (potential) extra money to travel to that company's hometown to be heard. “ says mezzo-soprano Morgan Earle . “That way, I rest assured knowing that this company is happy to not be spending money on NYC costs, thus (hopefully) my money is being put to good use by a company I know I can TRUST with my application fee because I did the research. This business is cynical enough, so why make it harder on ourselves? Don't allow YAPTracker to do the work for you. I have had success this season with getting the info I need from opera companies concerning what they're looking for talent-wise. This info isn't always laid out on the YAPTracker page, but it IS available if you're serious and smart enough to ask! If you get a fishy mass-correspondence of any kind that seems ‘predatory,’ email that company and nicely ask for an explanation, then use your sound judgment whether or not to move forward with the application/audition. If the trash can smells, it's probably got garbage in it.

However, I do agree that if opera companies would work together to share costs of renting audition facilities for a month or two in NYC, a lot of the issues could be solved and everyone can go about their business as usual.”

THE ARGUMENT AGAINST: It takes some special knowledge to film and edit videos well, so singers would need to learn this and obtain equipment or pay someone to do it for them. Some administrators might prefer in-person auditions only. A video screening would create an additional step and more work for admins if they planned on having a second round of in-person auditions.

For group auditions, coordinating the schedules of a large group of administrators (with their responsibilities to mainstage and other commitments) could be like herding cats. The various entities would need to coordinate to delegate various organizational duties, which would be a lot of work. Singers who were unavailable or sick during the chosen audition dates would be out of luck. Singers who have a bad audition day would risk making a bad impression on multiple panels, not just one, and this could significantly affect future as well as current opportunities. Group auditions might cut down significantly on the overall number of people being heard, since the time allotted for auditions might not necessarily be longer than they would be for individual company auditions.

Cattle call auditions mean singers dedicating an entire day (rather than an hour) to the audition process; singers could be “typed out” and not heard after waiting around for hours; singers would be forced to use the pianist provided rather than have the option to bring their own; may not be able to show best work due to long waiting period; those traveling from out of town would still have to plan to stay extra days for potential callbacks, which could end up being wasted time/money if not called back. Administrators would lose the ability to pre-select candidates and might have to wade through many singers who are not sufficiently experienced for the opportunity.

House auditions are not necessarily less expensive than trips to New York; plane tickets to smaller markets can be extremely pricey and there are fewer flight options; hotels may be cheaper but taxi service in smaller cities is usually more expensive and less reliable or easy to find than in New York. Singers would be dependent on the house providing an adequate local pianist or would have to go to the expense of bringing their own.

“Exactly how long it would take, if companies without big budgets stopped coming to NYC at all, for singers to start complaining about how much it cost to go to them for auditions?” asks soprano Kathleen Berger. “I'm still waiting for a real answer to that question. My guess is about one-tenth of a billionth of a hot second.”

“Donors would much rather that companies use their money to pay the singer they hire rather than subsidizing the singers they don't,” agrees Ben Schuman, a member of Baltimore Concert Opera’s Board of Directors. “Would you rather have a free audition in Memphis or Albuquerque or Seattle that you have to travel to at your own expense?”

6. Improvements in professional courtesy, including:

- Introduction of the audition panel when you walk into an audition (or a piece of paper posted outside the door, announcing names and titles of the panelists)

- Always receiving a rejection notice, even for mainstage auditions, even if it is just a form letter. German houses do this; why can’t American ones?

- Not penalizing singers who have paid and gotten their materials in on time by extending deadlines.

- Not eating or talking on the phone when the auditions are happening.

- If providing a pianist, make sure that person is a creditable opera accompanist and knows standard repertoire.

- Advance notice (emergencies notwithstanding) if there are changes to published information, including matters such changes in personnel hearing auditions, roles available, faculty who will be teaching at a training program, etc.

THE ARGUMENT FOR: Civility and mutual respect are not only professional but improve the experience for everyone and help create a better industry.

THE ARGUMENT AGAINST: How can one argue against treating your colleagues respectfully? However, some of the aforementioned do create some extra work for already pressed administrators; and taking the time to implement them may take time from other tasks such as reviewing applications, resulting in fewer singers being heard.

***

Here’s my question, and I pose it to singers and administrators alike: what happens next? How do we work together to improve the process for everyone? Where do we go from here? One thing that I think must happen is that there must continue to be civil discussion of these issues. Ultimately, of course, every company, competition, YAP, and training program is going to decide on its own what, if any, changes they can make; and it's unlikely that everybody will be happy with all the solutions. But that's the very definition of compromise, isn't it --- everybody gets some things they want, but nobody gets everything they want. If the Met can do it, why can't we?

10/22/2014

Last year, inspired by (anonymized) singer shenanigans my friends in administration were sharing on social media, I wrote an article for Classical Singer Magazine entitled “Singers Behaving Badly”. You can read it in their archives if you have a subscription. It chronicled some of the more outrageous behavior certain singers indulge in: examples of entitlement, failure to engage reading comprehension skills, unrealistic expectations and arrogance. However, each administrator I interviewed admitted that these horror stories represented a very small percentage of the singers they deal with; most, they said, were professional and polite.

And while the same can certainly be said for most administrators, horror stories about the audition process still abound. Every singer has them. Some result from company policies; some from disrespectful behavior by company personnel; some from embarrassing clerical oversights; and some from singer misunderstandings. Regardless, they contribute to the adversarial relationship some singers feel exists between themselves and those running the show. Singers should be accorded professional courtesy in the audition process at all times (and offer it to administrators as well); but when a singer is asked to pay for the privilege of auditioning, it’s rather beyond the pale to be treat them with disrespect, rudeness, or disregard.

Here are a few tales and thoughts from the front lines. Most singers have asked to remain anonymous.

“I think it's important to stop using ‘Audition Fee’ and ‘Application Fee’ interchangeably. There is a big difference. There are very few reasonable minded singers who begrudge a reasonable audition fee. We understand the costs and are happy to help offset the costs for the sake of making these audition opportunities available. It's the application fee paid by those who don't receive the audition that is the real crux of the issue. Simply put, those that aren't getting auditions are subsidizing those that are. This is why people are feeling victimized and use language like ‘predatory’. I agree that the language in the petition was needlessly inflammatory, and the overall demands are unrealistic and counter-productive, but I understand where the sentiment comes from”.

***

"Last year, I applied for some local auditions. The initial audition was set after I paid my $50 application/audition fee, but the audition had to be rescheduled because of the AD's flight delay/cancellation coming from Chicago. The second audition date was yet again rescheduled due to weather conditions (we did have a bad winter).

They offered the local applicants a chance to submit audition materials via a recording, but a live audition is ideal when you are vying for a spot as a Vocal Fellow (which is fully funded by a scholarship). I wanted to make sure I could sing for the AD in person, as I have a lot of performing experience, but was particularly interested in the Fellowship and all that would entail.

So I attend my (twice-rescheduled) audition only to find that we were auditioning for the AD's assistant and a laptop. I'm pretty sure this assistant did not have any real say when it came to a singers' admission to the program or scholarship consideration. All local applicants were NOT informed, in advance, that the AD would not be at the newest audition. We all received the same surprise at the audition, and I know that I am not the only singer who felt misled by the audition process.

Needless to say, I feel like I spent $50 to attend an audition via laptop and will not ever apply to this program again".

***

“I don't wish to say who, but one audition they ate through the entire time I sang, and a day later I got a rejection letter in the mail from them postmarked prior to my audition. This was a while ago. I never applied to them again. The fee was about $30. Honestly, in that case the fee wasn't so much the issue as the feeling of being rejected as being an artist before they even heard me. And I'm sorry, crunching and eating through an audition is just, well, disrespectful. I know you have to eat, just take a lunch break.

I've also had judges remark such things as 'Aren't you a big girl' when I walk in (I'm a touch over 6'). I was so humiliated. Thankfully, I did not know that judge by name. I've often had people comment on my size because of roles like Gilda, Lucia, etc. But I'll tell you one thing, you'd be hard pressed to find a scarier Queen!”

***

“The issue of application fees (which I consider different from audition fees) does not only exist in the YAP and competition world. Some companies do charge fees just to apply for their general auditions. This *is* an employment application, and to pay for the privilege of submitting a couple pieces of paper after which you may or may not actually be heard does begin to make you feel like part of their income stream and not a potential employee. The fact that it is obviously in their financial interest to extend deadlines and encourage applications from as many singers as possible does not help the perception. We all know no one is getting rich from this, but it does feel like some places are managing to stay afloat on the backs of singers who aren't even working for them”.

***

"I sang for a competition last year where 1. The pianist was horrible and couldn't play standard repertoire, 2. The conductor/artistic director didn't know standard repertoire, and 3. The concert that was supposed to result never happened. It was listed as "multiple auditions reported" on YAPTracker for a year following, and no contracts were ever given out. I don't remember how much the fee was - I was only doing it because I was already in New York that day, but I felt terrible for several people who flew in from out of town just for that competition."

***

“I’ve been in the business for a while and although most of my interactions have been positive, I do have a few horror stories to tell. Let’s start with the Met Competition judge who sat there with his beer belly hanging down between his knees and told me I’d never have a career because, at size 14, I was too fat; and the notorious small company GD who told me I wasn’t pretty enough to be a leading lady. I appreciate honest feedback and knowing why they don’t want to hire me, but there’s no need to be rude about it. There was one in which one of the panelists who happened to be my voice type glared balefully at me throughout the whole audition, even though her colleagues were very enthusiastic ... she ended up singing the role herself. Girl, do what you need to do to sing in front of people but don't agree to hear me and ask me to spend money if there's not a snowball's chance in hell that I'll be cast! There’s the GD famous for running VERY late and for giving rudely worded feedback to professionals in auditions, who walked out of an audition for which he’d requested me to go to the bathroom. His assistant insisted I go ahead and sing. When the guy came back he said, “Thanks for coming, but I didn’t really hear you sing what you needed to sing.” I’d been singing the aria he requested from the show he was producing during his potty break. That was the last time I sang for him, though he continued to request me for years after. Also, on two different occasions companies have canceled auditions at the last minute, leaving me to eat $400 plane tickets. I chalk it up as cost of doing business, but that money is coming out of my pocket, not a donor’s, and it hurts.”

***

“The YAP system acts as little more than an extension of academia, wherein singers without certain schools and connections on paper are not even considered and thus this further entrenches this hierarchy of overpriced music schools. There are some companies that will not even hear a singer for a YAP unless they attended a major conservatory, and then these same bureaucrats are the ones encouraging singers to ‘find their own path’. It's completely dishonest. The discussion that needs to be had is of the efficacy of the entire YAP system and how it blocks certain young singers from moving further in their careers because they lack certain qualifications on paper or are late vocal bloomers at the same time there is a death of fuller bodied operatic voices (Verdi, Wagner and even Puccini) on the great stages of the world. Opera companies need to do more than offer 4-8 slots to young singers who all invariably attended 1 of about 7 schools or a handful of other YAPs... Cindy is right to keep encouraging young singers to make more informed choices, but at some point the business has to take some credit for limiting those choices.”

***

“I applied for and was turned away from a competition run by an opera company. I demanded answers and a refund and some of the answers I got should be public knowledge. I was told by the AD that they are encouraged by YapTracker to set and then extend application deadlines for the purpose of having more applications. When I explained that I felt it unethical to charge me a fee and then do this I was laughed at. I then asked how application fees were used if not to ensure my application process was in working order and handled ethically and I was told flat out that application fees are used towards the prize pool. I received a form letter from them through YapTracker encouraging me to apply for their Summer PTS at another 65$. When pressed on how this is not another fundraising scheme I was told the two programs (competition/festival) are two separate entities whose monies are considered different, despite the fact that the competition offers contracts to this program. All of this should be public knowledge. There needs to be transparency in the allocation of funds called application fees. I had a 45 minute constructive conversation with the AD on the phone today but I still feel that there is injustice afoot. How can they collect donor money and name their awards yet use application fees as prize money? Also if YapTracker is encouraging these tactics it needs to be publicized.”

Julie Baron of YAPTracker responds: “In terms of this particular applicant and the policy on extending deadlines, I explained to him that we neither encourage nor discourage companies from extending their deadlines. We provide guidance to those that ask about when to extend a deadline (meaning extend it today or extend it a few days from now) but it isn't really appropriate for me to disclose the nature of the conversation I may or may not have had with any one organization about deadlines. We were not offered an explanation as to why this particular company decided to extend their deadline."

***

“I traveled from NY to the midwest to audition for a leading role. They had expressed great interest in me based on my recordings, and I felt I had a good chance of getting the gig if I did the audition. I flew and booked a hotel at my own expense. I paid an audition fee (don't remember the amount), and they provided a pianist. When I walked onto the stage and greeted the pianist, I told her what I was singing, and she responded by saying she, ‘wasn't familiar with the show’. Um... they were auditioning FOR THAT SHOW! I had sung that aria with other pianists who weren't familiar with it in the past and, while not perfect, I was still able to show what I needed to show, and it was always obvious that I knew what I was doing and the pianist simply wasn't quite with me. I decided to chance it. BIG MISTAKE. Not only could this girl (she looked to be maybe 20 years old) not keep up, but she clearly had ZERO sight reading skills. It was horrific. I sang and acted my ass off, a capella at times, but I was COMPLETELY on my own. After that mess, they asked for a very straight forward Mozart aria. She couldn't play that either! I couldn't believe that they had hired this girl to play PROFESSIONAL main stage auditions when she didn't know the repertoire they were auditioning for, and couldn't sight read to save her life. I was super pissed because I spent a lot of money on that audition. When I shared my story with colleagues back in NY, every single one of them said, ‘Oh, they are KNOWN for having atrocious pianists’! Two different people told me they had been YAs at that company and that the powers that be purposely get green pianists for auditions in order to save money, and that it is overall a terribly run company. Wish I had known that before dropping hundreds of dollars on a wasted audition!

I've also had SEVERAL companies and agents tell me in the audition room that I'm ‘exactly what (they're) looking for’ or I ‘made their whole trip to NY worth it’, or ‘you'll be hearing from us in the next few days’, only to hear crickets and get the dreaded rejection when I initiated follow up contact. And I truly am not exaggerating or being egotistical. Those are actual quotes I heard in the audition room numerous times. That is actually the main reason I've pretty much given up auditioning and have decided to focus on my own company. I got tired of being told ‘you're the best’, and then not getting the gig. I'd rather they just say ‘very nice’ in the audition room and leave it at that. Don't make promises in the moment that you may or may not end up keeping.”

***

“Some ten years ago I busted my ass to prepare an audition. I learned and coached the big aria from the opera they were casting, ‘Il m'en souvient’ from Béatrice et Benedict , for this audition and traveled from NY to DC to sing for them - and the pianist they hired for the audition COULD NOT PLAY IT. Under most circumstances I always bring my own accompanist, but there are times such as this one when simply isn't feasible and when you would assume that the pianist would be able to play rep from the opera they are casting. It was so awkward and embarrassing - it is a long aria and we were all emotionally wrung out by the time it was over. Suffice it to say that I did not get cast. I don't recall who did, but it was probably someone who either brought their own pianist or sang a more accessible French aria. ”

***

"A MAJOR opera company (the biggest one in the state) could not provide an accompanist that could play any of my literature. And we're talking standard stuff, like 'Bella Siccome'. That audition was a plane ride AND a rental car. Threw that money away..."

***

"I've had a few auditions where they eat while I'm singing. I thought the phrase was singing for my supper...not theirs. Also, I wonder what they're so busy typing behind their computer monitors. I understand if they're taking notes, but occasionally I wonder if they checking facebook or tweeting while listening to auditions.

At a few auditions, the question they asked after they saw my face was not 'what are you singing?' but 'where are you from'. I enjoy those. I'm originally from India. I like to pick what they think of as completely unexpected places for a person of my complexion...Iceland...I'm from Iceland. I had a coaching recently where someone asked me that immediately after seeing my brown face. I usually brush it off but it gets annoying after getting asked that repeatedly. It's totally ok to ask where someone's from but there needs to be a finesse to it. If they expect us to be polished with our repertoire, languages, and all the other skills needed for this profession, I expect them to be a little more cosmopolitan about talking to people they might not encounter regularly."

***

“Two years ago, I found my name on an audition list ... three months after the auditions had taken place. I had applied, but they'd never responded one way or the other, so I assumed they'd rejected me. I tried to get in touch with them numerous times via phone and email to ask for a refund (starting very professionally and escalating to anger), but I was always connected to voicemail and they never responded. It was a $70.00 application fee...I felt like they absolutely took my money and took advantage of me.

Earlier this year, I submitted payment for an application and received a PFO (rejection notice) two hours later. Luckily the application fee wasn't huge, but I was still pretty angry. It felt like they saw that I was female and immediately tossed out my application.”

***

“An admin in the DC area is notorious for pretty much requiring any singer to ‘do time’ for very low pay in the chorus of her company before one can ever get considered for a named role - that is, at least, if one is a local singer. Out-of-town singers apparently are much preferred to local talent (as seems to be the case everywhere for some inexplicable reason).

In my case, I went to audition for a leading role. I paid around $40 for my audition fee. It was pretty darned obvious from the start that the admin had less than no interest in hearing me...or anyone else singing for her that day, for that matter, because the entire audition she spent with her laptop screen up blocking her view, and not once actually looking at me. Moreover, not only didn't she bother to turn off her cell phone, but it actually rang during my audition and she fumbled around under the table to find it in her bag, then answered the call. At that point, I stopped singing - thinking I would resume when she was off the phone - but she waved at me to continue WHILE SHE TALKED ON THE PHONE.

So I finished my aria, and when I was done, she asked me if I would be interested in singing in the chorus.

I have never auditioned for her again, and never will.”

***

“My stories are almost all from pay to sing land, although some more reputable than others, of course. I have personally auditioned for a program where one of the lead soprano roles was advertised as available, only to be filled by the director's wife, who gave birth the week of the auditions. (I'd really like to know if SHE paid the $65 fee to apply!) I have received rejection letters with ‘feedback’ that included arias not on my list, meaning I got someone else's comments and someone else got mine, acceptance letters at my address where the inside letter was addressed to someone else, and no letter of acceptance or rejection where months down the line I was included on an email about flights to Italy, which involved trying to figure out if I was actually supposed to be accepted or they just offered me a spot after they made that mistake!”

***

"Years ago, I auditioned for what was a well known and respected summer festival that charged an audition fee to sing for the chorus positions - not an apprentice position or anything like that. In a 10 minute audition slot, I sang a 2:30 minute aria and then the panel started berating me and saying things like, 'You have no business pretending to be a singer', 'You'll be better off teaching' and 'We never want to hear you again, so don't waste our time'.Obviously, that didn't stop me from working in the grand scheme of things, but it always bothered me - that an administrator and chorus master decided to harass me with that negativity instead of just saying 'Thank you, we've heard enough' and moving on to the next audition. I've run across them in other companies and settings and I know they don't remember what they said to me as an impressionable student, but I definitely remember.

***

“A few years ago, I auditioned (after paying a fee) for a YAP. At the audition, I discovered that they had scheduled only five minutes of audition time per singer, apparently without any breaks. When I got to my audition in the evening, they were running more than a half hour behind. There was no monitor. We all simply crowded by the room and checked the list taped to the door. When I got inside to sing, I discovered there was also no pianist provided. The artistic director would be accompanying us. They were so behind at this point that I sang two lines of one aria, and a verse of another, and left. I don't mind singing partial pieces, and I understand that sometimes scheduling screw ups happen. I did feel that after paying a fee, they could have hired a pianist so that the artistic director could have focused his undivided attention on the singers who were auditioning. It seemed like they were only interested in collecting the maximum number of audition fees.

Finally, this year I received what are obviously audition advertisement emails from two companies for their YAPs. Both referred to the fact that I had applied before, and both encouraged me to apply again. I was waitlisted for one of the programs, but for the other I was rejected without an audition. I have heard many administrators talk about how every year they receive a new record number of applicants, so I cannot believe that either program is desperate for more applications. The only conclusion I can draw is that they are hoping more people will apply so that they will receive more fees I actually received three(!) from one company, which was beyond irritating!

I do feel a lot of sympathy for administrators who are have to do more with less and also deal with an overwhelming number of applicants. But both of these experiences left a bad taste in my mouth. I think there's no explanation for the behavior in either of them except greed, plain and simple.”

***

It’s admittedly unscientific, but my observation of the dialogue on these issues over the past few days reveals that the vast majority of singers are frustrated but willing to work (I’m sure the same can be said of admins). They aren’t demonizing the “other side” but they do want better treatment, better information, and a process which is more fair. In the next installment, I will publish a compendium of singers’ requests and proposals for improving the audition process. In the meantime, please feel free to continue to (civilly) share your stories and observations. It would be great to hear from any admins who want to weigh in, and you certainly can be anonymous if you prefer.

10/19/2014

In recent days, a strongly-worded petition has been making the rounds on social media. It decries the "predatory fees" young singers are charged and demands that Opera America work with independent businesses such as YAP Tracker and Classical Singer Magazine to "prohibit" advertising any organization that requires an application fee. At the time of this writing, it has 961 signatures.

The petition, authored by the proprieters of a website called Opera Candy, is problematic in both its wording and design. The language (referring to fees as predatory) in unnecessarily inflammatory and the demand, as worded, is unreasonable. It lumps travel, housing, accompanist fees, and wardrobe --- all cost of doing business --- in with the application or audition fees some companies assess. It decries the fees as "unregulated" -- but individual companies report only to their respective boards; there is no authority in charge of "regulating" all opera companies in this country (although certainly AGMA signatories must abide by agreements with the union --- but many companies are not signatories). It claims that people seeking employment should not be subjected to predatory fees, but competitions and YAPS are not employment opportunities. YAPs are apprenticeships in which participants are paid to sing, but are also there to receive training and experience. And instead of asking private companies to decline advertising which makes up a large part of their bread and butter, thereby putting accessibility to their other more desireable services at risk, why not encourage singers to take responsibility for making better decisions about how to spend their resources? Companies won't stop charging fees just because they can't list in Classical Singer or Yap Tracker. They know singers will still come to them. And no one is forcing singers to pay audition and application fees. Every singer makes a choice to do so.

Nevertheless, however poorly worded and thought-out the petition is, the sentiment behind it is a good and worthy one: to address the problem of crippling expenses for starting a career as a classical singer.

The problem, as I see it, begins with the lack of information and training in the way the business actually, currently works. It's a soapbox issue for me: my sideline, The Business of Singing, is dedicated to helping close this education gap and I often work one on one with singers who find themselves spinning their wheels, unable to progress as they would like in their careers due in large part to this lack of understanding. I also hear frequently from opera company and YAP administrators who are frustrated by this. It hinders their efforts as well as those of singers.

Keith Wolfe, Executive Director at Fort Worth Opera Festival (which does not charge audition fees), mentioned that when reviewing applications he often found that singers don't pay attention to their stated needs for the season and submit applications even when there is no opening for their voice types. "The responsibility goes both ways in making sure you fit the needs of the company," he says.

"I am quite sure that the majority of people who oppose audition fees have zero idea of the actual expense and time - uncompensated extra time on top of everyone's full time work - that a yearly audition tour entails," writes coach and conductor Kathleen Kelly. "Before you react to that statement, let me add that this cluelessness is endemic throughout the business, at all levels, and can be found in every type of musician. Far, far too few of us have even the most basic idea of how our work is funded and who is paying for what".

"Singers need to better self-select the programs that are realistically within their reach right now (and research to see which ones are not in the up and up!), " says soprano and University of Houston voice professor Cynthia Clayton. "Companies (and some do this already) can help by putting up bios and performance videos of the level of singers they hire. Until self selection improves, companies will be inundated with applications that are simply wishful thinking, denial, or just clueless about where they fit in, developmentally and talent-wise."

Where are students to get this knowledge? This is part of the problem. Universities and conservatories (speaking generally, not specifically) are not doing a good job of training singers to be business-savvy. Young singers entering the industry are often already loaded with debt and faced with massive expenses to get the career for which they have trained off the ground. Yet they frequently possess little to no practical business training and sometimes are have been given advice that is out-and-out wrong. No one has told them that they are starting a small business and need funding, knowledge, and a practical plan. No one has formally educated them on how they're going to support themselves and pay down their massive debt while they try to climb the next rung up the career ladder. It's overwhelming for these young singers, and they often just don't know where to turn for advice. Meeting rejection after expensive rejection, many understandably become frustrated or even bitter.

"Either I was being told to grab every opportunity and apply for everything, or I was not being guided at all on what to apply for," wrote soprano Christina Rivera. "We are fed ridiculous anecdotes of application, audition experiences, and success stories through strange and fateful events and coincidences. We are told that it is a crapshoot and that we must 'get out there' and not be swayed by rejections, that it is 'part of the business'. We already read bios of singers getting into major programs with no degree and/or little to no training from remote parts of the world. Therefore, many young singers are already going into this with minimal foresight but a whole lot of gumption."

"This past year I did a gig with a handful of singers still in the YAP-lication part of their careers and over heard A LOT of complaining about app fees and feeling 'victimized' by the process," wrote mezzo-soprano Alissa Anderson. "Along with the complaining, there did not seem to be much awareness as to which of these companies these singers should actually be applying to based on their experience and skill level. It seemed like they were either throwing their money at dozens of audition opportunities with abandon or assuming it was all a racket and not applying to anything."

Alissa's statement reflects the increasingly polarization between singers and administrations. Now more than ever, young singers seem to feel preyed upon by their own industry; and lacking the information or even the skill set to obtain it, they sometimes begin to see every administrator as an adversary, taking their hard-earned money and giving nothing in return, except to those lucky few who win a slot in the YAP or the competition. A general presumption that administrators don't care about their situation or their challenges seems to be developing among many young singers.

Language and rhetoric in discussions on social media reflects this --- although to be fair, many singers also defend the administrators and the system even while calling for reasonable reform in audition/application processes. Still, the voices of those who feel battered by the process are loud and passionate.

"I think it's unethical to take financial advantage of people just because they are talented and passionate about what they do," wrote one singer in response to a discussion about audition fees. Another wrote that companies can "absolutely afford" New York audition trips and have "absolutely no reason" to charge audition fees. "They are obviously intent on making a profit out of it which I find sickening", she wrote. Yet another bemoaned the observation that "a lot of people feel like it's not just a competitive business but also, often, a rigged business -- rigged against singers", adding "But of course, that's not 100% of the business." One frustated singer raged against having to spend fees for rejection, no refunds, and no feedback. "How are we suppose to learn and improve upon something if we don't know what was missing? I find it depressing, discouraging, and stressful. Especially these days with the economy going the way it is ... I want to sing and live in music, but I don't want to be at mom's and/or homeless".

"It is disgraceful to suck the last $5 that already poor artists & musicians have in their pockets to pay just to submit their application," wrote a commenter on the Opera Candy website. "It’s a shameful practice that should be disbanded." Another commenter added, "Most of these companies know who they are going to hire, have those singers flown to the audition site in some cases, and the hundreds of other candidates are just killing themselves to audition for maybe one opening. The entire opera industry is about privilege".

Are these strong opinions unjustified? Not entirely. Many singers have audition horror stories.

One such singer, who asked to remain anonymous, wrote, "I'm upset that some of the most conscientious, fair administrators are reacting to language that is being used to describe 'them', not realizing some of the things that happen to singers quite regularly at the hands of some of their less than stellar colleagues.

I have personally auditioned for a pay-to-sing program where one of the lead soprano roles was advertised as available, only to be filled by the director's wife, who gave birth the week of the auditions. (I'd really like to know if SHE paid the $65 fee to apply!) I have received rejection letters with 'feedback' that included arias not on my list, meaning I got someone else's comments and someone else got mine, acceptance letters at my address where the inside letter was addressed to someone else, and no letter of acceptance or rejection where months down the line I was included on an email about flights to Italy, which involved trying to figure out if I was actually supposed to be accepted or they just offered me a spot after they made that mistake!

In addition, the steep fees, lack of guidance from profs about which level singer should be applying to what, etc. make the business of it completely overwhelming to singers. Not everyone that is taking singers' money is taking as much care as those beautiful people at Fort Worth."

Two singers wrote me separately regarding the Mildred Miller Competition associated with Opera Theatre Pittsburgh. They paid the $65 application fee and applied on time; the deadline was later extended; and both singers were rejected from the competition but invited to pay an additional $65 to apply for the company's SummerFest 2015 Young Artists Program. One singer was told that he had originally been shortlisted for the competition, but someone who applied during the extended deadline was a better candidate and was given his slot. In further investigation, he was told that the competition and summer festival are separate entities, although the competition awards include monetary contracts for the festival, and that application funds supplemented the awards and the contracts. While there may be no actual wrongdoing here, it's easy to see how a singer would feel taken advantage of, and how this sort of practice could contribute to an adversarial attitude between singers and administration.

In discussions with my colleagues who are established in the profession, and even younger working singers in the early years of their careers, we've agreed that we don't recall this kind of "us vs them" mentality when we were beginning our careers. It seems to be a fairly recent phenomenon and is perhaps related to the state of the economy, the cost-cutting measures many companies are having to take just to stay afloat, the massive debt many young people now incur in an attempt to educate themselves, and the general lack of work for college graduates in all professions.

But this "us vs. them" mentality is quite unhealthy and counterproductive for singers and for companies. We should not have an adversarial relationship with the people responsible for our training and eventually, our jobs --- fellow lovers of the art who are just as dedicated to the genre as the performers and who make it possible for us to work. And while there certainly are companies, competitions, training programs, and individuals who are unscrupulous in their business dealings and who take advantage of some singers' naivete, those who advocate for young singers take great offense at being lumped into one stewpot with the charlatans.

"I find the petition overly simplistic and inflammatory, and particularly take offense at the word 'predatory'," says Laurie Rogers, Director of Young Artist Programs and Head of Music Staff at Saratoga Opera (responding while she waded through a record number of applications for the 2015 season). "While that may describe some shady competitions who charge triple figure fees, it categorically does NOT describe the traditional Young Artist Programs who mostly charge between $30-40. We are not getting rich off the backs of young singers, which is what the petition implies... I am rather rankled by the accusations being hurled around about incompetent administrators, poor budgeting choices, 'predatory' fees, etc. Very few opera companies are rolling in it these days. Budgets are stretched precariously thin. NOBODY is getting rich off of this."

Laurie is also vocal in her dislike of the popular term "PFO" ("Please F*** Off"), which singers often use as a darkly humorous description of their rejection letters; it does not, she says, reflect the spirit with which she and her colleagues deliver these rejections.

Darren Keith Woods, General and Artistic Director of Fort Worth Opera Festival, also defended his company's deeply involved audition processing practices -- which involve two employees wading through 800 applications (including sound clips) for 4 spots before adding Darren to the mix; more days spent scheduling auditions and accounting for hundreds of manager recommendations; and audition tours lasting two to three weeks. All those involved in the process are at the director level. "I know Laurie Rogers, Michael Heaston (Head of Music Staff and Assistant Coach/Accompanist at Glimmerglass Opera), Bob Tweten (Conductor and Head of Music Staff at Santa Fe Opera) and many other companies do the same," wrote Darren. "It is not frivolous - if someone has concrete evidence to the contrary, I would love to see it."

"When professionals take the chance to try and communicate about the process, they often get corrected and second guessed by people who have very strong ideas about how it should all work based on...well, not based on experience. I'm more than a little flabbergasted by that," said Kathleen Kelly.

What can be done to overcome this destructive "us vs. them" mentality?

I believe that the solution is multi-faceted. I believe it begins with better business education for singers --- educating them about how the business currently works and teaching them to be better consumers and businesspeople themselves --- and continues with greater transparency and an improved audition process from the YAPs, competitions, and pay-to-sing programs.

This opinion piece has focused on the petition and the baseline problem. The next article will focus more on the actual audition process, on transparency, and proposals for solutions.

I hope that many will continue the dialogue in the comments so that we can put our many creative minds together and reach some solutions. However, a caveat: KEEP THE DISCUSSION CIVIL. I will delete any posts that include rudeness of any sort, including name-calling, profanity, or trolling. We can be passionate AND professional.

03/11/2014

Wow. What a great response from singers, teachers, colleagues, people who were in the business and left, people who studied and then decided not to go into the business ... so many thoughtful and valuable comments on Part 1. I am both thrilled and humbled to see the dialogue that is resulting from my thoughts set down in the previous blog post. Thank you to everyone who commented here, on Reddit, on FaceBook, or in private messages to me ... and as people who all love singing and opera, let's keep the dialogue going.

Many people eloquently expressed that they felt the article didn't cover all the bases; and they're right. It wasn't intended to. It is directed primarily towards singers in the their studies or the very beginning of their careers and was inspired by many, many conversations with working singers, teachers, opera company administrators, and other industry professionals. It is also directed very specifically to those singers who want the all-singing, all-the-time career path ... which is but one of many valid choices.

Some folks expressed displeasure at what they feel is too much negativity. Sure, the title is a bit sensational --- made ya look, didn't it? It's the way of the Internet and it got a lot more hits than Ten Things, gentle suggestions for getting the most out of your education and addressing some of the shortcomings of our educational system which we must overcome.

I don't write these things to be mean or hurtful. I believe in tough love with the emphasis on love. I also believe in humor, compassion, and lending a helping hand to anyone who wants to enjoy opera at any level of participation. I want to get people's attention and make them think. I want young people who are going into this business to make the very most of their time, money, and other resources and get a good start so they have the best possible chance at being successful --- however they define that.

It has always been one of my tenets that every one of us has to define success for ourselves. One of the first things I tell singers who attend my workshops is that we singers must take ownership of our art and our careers and behave like CEOs of our own small businesses --- and that includes deciding how YOU want to fulfill your own dream.

Clearly I could have done a better job of introducing my thoughts and providing context, especially for first-time readers. Lesson learned. So let's see if I can hit a few more of the bases this time. Here they are --- more reasons why you might not make it as a professional singer.

1. Singing is a really, really, really expensive business, and it never stops being expensive. Educating yourself; continuing education via voice lessons, coachings, training programs; travel to auditions; warm-up space; headshots; commissions; living expenses on the road ... the list of expenses goes on and on. If you're starting a career in major debt, via student loans and/or credit cards, it's that much harder. Very few singers behave as if they are preparing to be small business owners --- and yet that is exactly what you, as an artist, are doing. It helps to realize this early on and plan accordingly.

Of course we all have to pay the rent and buy the food, and life isn't really worth living if you can't have the occasional pair of awesome shoes or a night out with friends. My point is, you have to have a plan and you have to figure out how you're going to pay for your expensive career on top of these things. You have to find a way to avoid debt as much as possible, build up a nest egg, and have some flexibility in your day job so that you can attend auditions and take time to do gigs.

This is not in any way easy. But it's what you sign on for when you decide to go for the big career, or even the fulltime regional career.

2. Schools and teachers cannot teach you everything you need to know. Many young singers don't realize this, and think if they just faithfully fulfill their degree requirements, they will walk out with a piece of paper in their hands and a job will be waiting for them. That's not happening in most professions these days, let alone singing.

Schools have criteria they must meet; and your voice teacher's main job is to teach you to sing, though we often look to our teachers for information and our first contacts in the business. And most teachers I know are very generous with their extracurricular help; but it's still not enough.

You have to educate yourself about the business to a large degree, and it's a lot to take on. Start by doing a lot of research and asking a lot of questions. Find out what your professional publications are and read them (I listed some resources in the previous article). . And yes, take advantage of continuing education resources when they come your way. Summer training programs and YAPs aren't just important because you get to have more voice lessons and sing roles. You also make contacts that may help you down the line.

3. Our educational institutions could be doing a much better job. Academia has its own requirements, and while many of them are logical and beneficial, when it comes to training people for careers in performance, sometimes those requirements handicap the institution in its ability to provide a good education.

Academic achievements are not sufficient in and of themselves to make a successful professional performer. Knowing the precise location and function of the cricothyroid muscle or being able to write a tone row is not going to get you a singing job (any more than being a great singer means you're automatically qualified to teach). There is something dramaticall wrong about a preference to hire, as a voice teacher, a freshly minted DMA who has never sung on the professional stage and has no non-academic credentials over someone might lack a degree but has a distinguished performing resume and a studio full of successful private students.

There is something wrong about an institution which discourages its voice faculty from performing at the highest level because it means they can't teach their students on a weekly basis. (This happens all the time --- a colleague of mine was recently forced to choose between his voice studio and his singing career, and the losers are of course his students). There's something wrong about an institution that has no faculty currently performing ---- if no one on the voice faculty has sung professionally for the past 15 years, they may be teaching great vocal technique but who is there to can help educate students about today's market and help them get jobs in today's vastly changed and constantly shifting industry?

Does the institution teach Italian? (I've been hearing more and more often from young singers whose schools no longer do so). Does it provide enough performance opportunities so that most singers can get some sort of roles on their resumes before they graduate? Does the school encourage singers to seek outside educational and performance opportunities (many don't and furthermore, actively discourage it).

No single institution or teacher can, or should be expected, to be all things to all students. A certain amount of responsibility lies with the student to choose the right place for himself. But educators also have a responsibility to guide and to provide the best they can.

Bottom line: is this institution graduating performance majors who are employable as a rule, not as an exception?

4. It's not all in your hands. Even if you are a very good singer, even if you've read every publication and attended every master class and made every contact and done everything as right as you possibly can do, there are elements of timing and luck which are simply beyond your control.

I have a friend who is an amazing singer; wonderful actor; attractive; business savvy; good people. When I first met her (she was still in school) she stood out, radiating potential star power. And she achieved. She did a very high profile YAP and got to sing mainstage engagements with major names in the business. She gets great reviews and people love her both on and off the stage. But she has had terrible luck with a certain area of the business, for various reasons, not one of which has anything to do with her talent, work ethic, or marketability. As a result, although she has a good career, it's not as big as it probably could have or should have been. It happens.

What stands out to me about this friend is that she blooms where she is planted. She could have let any one of the setbacks she's experienced derail her, but singing is what she wants to do, so she figures out a way to move ahead on her own terms. And she enjoys her life.

This business takes persistence. It also takes perspective.

5. Sometimes you gotta drive, sometimes you gotta stop and smell the roses - but you gotta know which is which. Remember The Devil Wears Prada? I really hated Andy's friends, especially the boyfriend. They were jerks. They were happy enough to hear her crazy stories and get the swag from her sweet gig, but the minute she wasn't there for a birthday the whining started, and suddenly she was this uncaring bee-yotch because she was dedicating a hard year of her life to getting her career as a writer off the ground. If you are in the military, or if you're a doctor, or a recent addition to a law firm, guess what? Your family isn't going to see that much of you for a while, either. You work it out.

It's not exclusive to the opera business, but especially when you are trying to establish yourself, you have to put in a great deal of effort. I'm not saying you can never again take the time to go to a friend's wedding or be there for your kid's Easter pageant. However, when it comes down to a choice between a gig which pays the rent, puts a needed credit on your resume, and/or provides a stepping stone to the next level and something else, you have to make a difficult choice.

Of course career isn't the end all be all, but when you're getting started, you need to prioritize career, especially when you're working freelance. That doesn't mean never, ever choosing personal life over career, but you are going to have to miss out on some things in lieu of career-building opportunities. Sometimes you will choose your personal life, and if that means you miss an opportunity you just have to work a little harder and get the next one. It happened to me early on --- my grandmother was in the hospital and she clearly wasn't going to be coming out, and I passed on the opportunity to sing a small solo on a broadcast so that I could go home and be with her. It had its repercussions, but I don't regret my decision and I did eventually recover from it, professionally.

But I also gave up a lot in the beginning to focus on my career, and I don't regret that, either. Balance came a little later, when I was more or less up and running. Of course, the tough choices don't go away once you're better established, but you're usually in a better position to deal with them and possibly work out compromises.

6. You're a special snowflake in a blizzard of special snowflakes. There are a LOT of good singers out there, and competition is stiff. If you happen to reside in a heavily populated Fach, then making yourself stand out from the crowd is an even bigger challenge --- but once again, if you're making a go at the Big Career, this is what you're signing on for.

I met a young singer last year in Chautauqua --- actually, I met a whole slew of ridiculously talented young singers --- who is a really standout. Cree Carico is a light lyric soprano and I'm just sure she's going to be a big deal, because on top of the talent and training, she has, to use a buzzword, developed a very distinctive brand. She has a unique look which really suits her personality and interests; she's fearless; she works her repertoire; and whatever she does, she completely goes for it.

This is the business nowadays, and this is how you distinguish yourself (beyond, of course, developing your talent). You must learn what it is you do well, what you are most marketable for, and how to get that message out to the people doing the hiring.

7. Whatever you're going to do, you must be honest with yourself about it. In university/conservatory, often the only "successful" path that is held up to us is the Big Singing Career. That path is pretty murky. I am very grateful for my teacher, Mignon Dunn, who despite having gone pretty much straight to the Met in her own career, told my undergraduate opera class that there were LOTS of ways to have a career as a singer, and enumerated them (something I now speak about a lot in my workshops). But a lot of singers still buy into the concept that they must go for the Big Career, when the truth is that the BC is only accessible to a very small percentage of us.

To put it simply, know your mission. You have to know why you're in this business and what you hope to accomplish. As Another_Jeremy pointed out in the comments for Part 1, you can be a fantastic artist without being in the business of making art. Being a good businessperson and a good artist aren't necessarily the same thing.

Nor are they mutually exclusive. If you're looking for the Big Career or even for the good solid Not So Big career, you need the skills of both. In order to use your resources --- time, money, all the talents at your disposal, all the support you have from various sources --- well, you need to have a goal and a realistic plan for how you're going to achieve that goal. You have to take concrete steps towards achieving that goal, and you have to be accountable to yourself for your progress (or lack thereof).

Your goal may change over time. This is okay. It may be that in the pursuit of your goal, you realize that what you really want has changed or become clearer to you. Just be honest with yourself about it. Don't cling to something you aren't happy with because you don't know what else to do, or because you've been doing it so long and invested so much in it that you're afraid to stop. This is your life and you only get one go at it, so spend it doing what makes you feel happy and fulfilled.